Ikea Unveils Uppleva TV - Sound System - Stand Combo

Ikea is a place where you go to buy more than just shelves. You may not intend to, but it's hard not to come out with two dozen batteries, a pack of frozen meatballs and a slightly shop soiled armchair. But the Swedish furniture giant has now gone one step further. The Ikea Uppleva is the first Ikea-branded TV, and it's not just a telly either. It combines a TV stand, sound system and a Blu-ray/DVD player.

But would you buy an Ikea TV?

Ikea describes the Uppleva as an "all-in-one" piece of furniture, with a design that makes it easy to hide the unsightly cables that are an annoyance of virtually all home cinema setups. There's scope to add your own set top boxes and games consoles too, with a shelf free within the unit.

As yet, we're not sure who makes the panels for the Ikea Uppleva line, but we do know they'll use LED screens. Ikea says the TVs will feature 1080p screens, four HDMI sockets and an internet connection for the built-in Smart TV functionality. The DVD drive is built into the front of the unit too - "black boxes begone" seems to be Ikea's modus operandi. Only one part needs to stray from the main unit - a wireless subwoofer.

However, the Uppleva is a range rather than a single product. These demo renders show what appears to be a 37in or 42in TV, but there will smaller models also available, as well as those with different designs for people who aren't into the whole white, minimal look seen here.

The UI is also worth noting. The comical-sounding PAP is a picture-in-picture mode, Smart TV is in (iPlayer support TBC) and you will be able to play music and downloaded movies from USB sticks or external hard drives plugged into the Uppleva.

Ikea's Uppleva range will launch in Berlin, Paris, Milan, Gdansk and Sweden in June, and should arrive in the UK within Spring 2013. What would it take for you to consider buying an Ikea TV?